What Car To Use For Uber In London

The Most Popular Cars To Use For Uber In London:

Uber has quite broad requirements for the cars that you can drive on the platform. You can still drive a beater like a 2008 Mondeo and still be on the platform. I think the taxi company are missing the chance to brand themselves as a green cab company and win the “war” against the polluting black cabbing diesel. You can see the full list of vehicles accepted on Uber in London here:

Let’s take a look at the most popular cars to drive in London:

1. Toyota Prius – MPG – 45-55 MPG*

The Toyota Prius is by far one of the most popular choices for London drivers. Anything from the second half of 2008 and up will be accepted on the platform all the way to 2017. Its popularity is mainly due to it being a hybrid, and it is a fantastically build vehicle for the money. Yes, it is more expensive than any of the next few choices, but rightfully so. It gives average London driving MPG of about 50-55 miles to the gallon petrol. Not bad for a 1.8 litres petrol with a CVT transmission. Maintenance is relatively cheap, except for the battery and the hybrid electrical part, but Toyota is known to offer great support to Uber drivers. You can have a few incentives to repair your Prius at a Toyota dealer taking advantage of Uber’s Momentum program. I’ve seen some 2008/2009 Priuses that look and drive like new and still hold value, even with the beating they endure while driven as a private hire vehicle.

2. Honda Insight – MPG – 40-50 MPG*

Honda Insight is the one and only Prius rival. It is a bit of an inferior younger brother, but it is a decent car for cab driving in London. It is even cheaper than the Prius to run, costs less, and it doesn’t look too shabby. It has a slightly smaller engine than the Prius – 1.3litre petrol, the CVT transmission is known to be a bit whiny under hard acceleration, and it has a bit worse mileage than the Prius, although it is not too bad comparing the running costs between the two.

3. Skoda Octavia/Superb – 30-45 MPG*

The Skodas are primarily a cheaper Volkswagens. Easy to maintain, cheap and reliable workhorses. No wonder you see so many with PCO badges on the windows. You would want the diesel versions, with or without BlueMotion system, to maximise on the MPG. The Superb is the bigger brother of the Octavia, is a bit better equipped, but more expensive and thirstier at the pump. Parts and maintenance are cheap, though, except for the typical diesel city driving issues – particular filters and cats getting clogged up. Both the Octavia and Superb are large vehicles that fit comfortably 3 in the back, so you’ll have no problem getting it on the Uber platform.

4. Vauxhall Insignia – 30-40 MPG*

It is the choice for Uber only if you plan on driving near places like Watford, Croydon, Romford and such. You will more than likely struggle to hit 40 mpg in the city, the mid-40s on the highway in a sluggish, but comfy ride. The Insignia is a good looking car, passengers like the ride very much but it is not particularly fun to drive. It is slowly accelerating, the visibility from the inside is not the greatest, and the acceleration leaves much to be desired. Running costs are low, on the other hand, replacement parts are cheap-ish and widely available. I wouldn’t recommend it for SOHO or anything like that, it will struggle with some of the turns there, and the DPF will get clogged sooner rather than later if you are not taking the car out for regenerating runs.

5. Ford Mondeo – 30-40 MPG*

The Mondeo is a proven workhorse when it comes to Private Hire. Large, comfy vehicle that is relatively easy to maintain. Known problems on the Mondeo are the Dual Mass Flywheel and the injectors going bad. Both things are pretty expensive. While the injectors are somewhat easy to replace yourself, the DMF will be an expensive part and even more expensive labour charge. It is cheap to acquire used, just be careful with hidden problems if you are buying from a dodgy seller.

All Vehicles Accepted For UberX (58 Reg Or Later)

FIAT – SCUDO

FIAT – ULYSSE

FORD – C-MAX

FORD – FOCUS

FORD – GALAXY

FORD – GRAND C-MAX

FORD – KUGA

FORD – MONDEO

FORD – S-MAX

FORD – TOURNEO

FORD – TRANSIT CONNECT

FORD – TRANSIT CUSTOM

FORD – TRANSIT VAN

HONDA – ACCORD

HONDA – CIVIC

HONDA – CR-V

HONDA – INSIGHT

HYUNDAI – ELANTRA

HYUNDAI – I30

HYUNDAI – I35

HYUNDAI – I40

HYUNDAI – I800

HYUNDAI – IONIQ

HYUNDAI – IX35

HYUNDAI – SANTA FE

HYUNDAI – SONATA

HYUNDAI – TRAJET

HYUNDAI – TUCSON

INFINITI – Q50

INFINITI – Q70

JAGUAR – X-TYPE

JAGUAR – XE

JAGUAR – XF

JAGUAR – XJ

KIA – CARENS

KIA – CEE’D SPORTSWAGON

KIA – CERATO

KIA – MAGENTIS

KIA – NIRO

KIA – OPTIMA

KIA – SEDONA

KIA – SORENTO

KIA – SPORTAGE

LAND ROVER – DISCOVERY

LAND ROVER – FREELANDER

LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER

LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER SPORT

LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER VOGUE

LEXUS – CT

LEXUS – GS

LEXUS – IS200

LEXUS – IS220

LEXUS – IS250

LEXUS – IS300

LEXUS – LS

LEXUS – RX

MAZDA – CX-5

MAZDA – MAZDA3

MAZDA – MAZDA5

MAZDA – MAZDA6

MERCEDES-BENZ – C-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – CITAN

MERCEDES-BENZ – E-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – GL-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – GLC-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – ML-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – R-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – S-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – V-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – VIANO

MERCEDES-BENZ – VITO

MG – MG 6

MITSUBISHI – CARISMA

MITSUBISHI – GRANDIS

MITSUBISHI – LANCER

MITSUBISHI – OUTLANDER

NISSAN – ELGRAND

NISSAN – LAFESTA

NISSAN – LEAF

NISSAN – e-NV200

NISSAN – NV200

NISSAN – PATHFINDER

NISSAN – PRIMASTAR

NISSAN – PULSAR

NISSAN – QASHQAI

NISSAN – QASHQAI+2

NISSAN – SERENA

NISSAN – X-TRAIL

PEUGEOT – 3008

PEUGEOT – 308

PEUGEOT – 308 SW

PEUGEOT – 4007

PEUGEOT – 407

PEUGEOT – 5008

PEUGEOT – 508

PEUGEOT – 508 SW

PEUGEOT – 607

PEUGEOT – 807

PEUGEOT – BIPPER

PEUGEOT – E7

PEUGEOT – EUROBUS

PEUGEOT – EXPERT

PEUGEOT – EXPERT TEPEE

PEUGEOT – HORIZON

PEUGEOT – PARTNER

PEUGEOT – TRAVELLER

PORSCHE – CAYENNE

PORSCHE – MACAN

PROTON – GEN-2

PROTON – PERSONA

RENAULT – ESPACE

RENAULT – FLUENCE

RENAULT – GRAND SCENIC

RENAULT – LAGUNA

RENAULT – MEGANE

RENAULT – MEGANE ESTATE

RENAULT – TRAFIC

ROVER – 75

SAAB – 9-3

SAAB – 9-5

SEAT – ALHAMBRA

SEAT – ALTEA XL

SEAT – EXEO

SEAT – LEON ST

SEAT – TOLEDO

SEAT – X-PERIENCE

SKODA – KODIAQ

SKODA – OCTAVIA

SKODA – RAPID

SKODA – RAPID SPACEBACK

SKODA – SUPERB

SSANGYONG – RODIUS

SSANGYONG – TURISMO

SUBARU – LEGACY

TESLA – MODEL S

TOYOTA – AURIS

TOYOTA – AURIS TOURING SPORTS

TOYOTA – AVENSIS

TOYOTA – CAMRY

TOYOTA – ESTIMA

TOYOTA – PREVIA

TOYOTA – PRIUS

TOYOTA – PRIUS+

TOYOTA – PROACE

TOYOTA – RAV4

TOYOTA – VERSO

VAUXHALL – ANTARA

VAUXHALL – ASTRA

VAUXHALL – INSIGNIA

VAUXHALL – SIGNUM

VAUXHALL – VECTRA

VAUXHALL – VIVARO

VAUXHALL – ZAFIRA

VOLKSWAGEN – BORA

VOLKSWAGEN – CADDY

VOLKSWAGEN – CARAVELLE

VOLKSWAGEN – CC

VOLKSWAGEN – GOLF ESTATE

VOLKSWAGEN – GOLF SPORTWAGEN

VOLKSWAGEN – JETTA

VOLKSWAGEN – PASSAT

VOLKSWAGEN – PHAETON

VOLKSWAGEN – SHARAN

VOLKSWAGEN – SURAN

VOLKSWAGEN – TIGUAN

VOLKSWAGEN – TOUAREG

VOLKSWAGEN – TOURAN

VOLKSWAGEN – TRANSPORTER

VOLVO – S40

VOLVO – S60

VOLVO – S80

VOLVO – S90

VOLVO – V40

VOLVO – V50

VOLVO – V60

VOLVO – V70

VOLVO – V90

VOLVO – XC60

VOLVO – XC90

To drive on the Uber platform, your car has to be certified as a private hire vehicle from Transport of London, has valid MOT, V5s counterpart and Hire and Reward Private Hire insurance, which usually carries a hefty price tag. Please keep in mind if you’re purchasing a new vehicle specifically for Uber that to register it as a private hire vehicle the car be no older than five years. Anything older than five years will not be able to register as TFL private hire vehicle. For example, if you buy a 61 Registration you won’t be able to register it as a new PHV. The only way to do so if it has already been registered with TFL before and you take over the tag.

Vehicles Accepted For UberXL In London

AUDI – Q7

CHEVROLET – ORLANDO

CHRYSLER – GRAND VOYAGER

CITROEN – C8

CITROEN – DISPATCH COMBI

CITROEN – GRAND PICASSO

DAIHATSU – GRAN MAX

FIAT – SCUDO

FORD – GALAXY

FORD – GRAND C-MAX

FORD – TOURNEO

FORD – TOURNEO CUSTOM

FORD – TRANSIT CONNECT

FORD – TRANSIT CUSTOM

HYUNDAI – I800

HYUNDAI – SANTA FE

KIA – CARENS

KIA – SEDONA

KIA – SORENTO

LAND ROVER – DISCOVERY

MERCEDES-BENZ – CITAN

MERCEDES-BENZ – GL-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – R-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – V-CLASS

MERCEDES-BENZ – VIANO

MERCEDES-BENZ – VITO

MITSUBISHI – GRANDIS

NISSAN – NV200

NISSAN – QASHQAI+2

NISSAN – SERENA

NISSAN – X-TRAIL

PEUGEOT – 5008

PEUGEOT – 807

PEUGEOT – EUROBUS

PEUGEOT – EXPERT

PEUGEOT – TRAVELLER

RENAULT – ESPACE

RENAULT – GRAND SCENIC

RENAULT – TRAFIC

SEAT – ALHAMBRA

SKODA – KODIAQ

SSANGYONG – RODIUS

SSANGYONG – TURISMO

TOYOTA – ESTIMA

TOYOTA – PREVIA

TOYOTA – PROACE

VAUXHALL – VIVARO

VAUXHALL – ZAFIRA

VOLKSWAGEN – CADDY

VOLKSWAGEN – CARAVELLE

VOLKSWAGEN – SHARAN

VOLKSWAGEN – SURAN

VOLKSWAGEN – TOURAN

VOLKSWAGEN – TRANSPORTER

VOLVO – XC90

Vehicles Accepted For Uber Exec

AUDI – AUDI A8 (Short wheel base)

AUDI – AUDI A6 (C7 Shape & 5 seater only)

BMW – BMW 5 Series (New shape)

BMW – BMW 5 SERIES SPORT (5 seater only)

BMW – BMW 7 SERIES (Short wheel base)

JAGUAR – JAGUAR XF SERIES

JAGUAR – JAGUAR X TYPE

JAGUAR – JAGUAR XJ SERIES (Short wheel base)

MERCEDES – MERCEDES S CLASS (Short wheel base)

MERCEDES – MERCEDES E CLASS *

TESLA – TESLA MODEL S

Most Popular Uber Cars In London

Vehicles Accepted For Uber Lux In London

BENTLEY – BENTLEY FLYING SPUR

BMW – BMW 7 SERIES (Long wheel base)

JAGUAR – JAGUAR XJ SERIES (Long wheel base)

MERCEDES – MERCEDES S CLASS (Long wheel base) *

LAND ROVER – RANGE ROVER VOGUE

ROLLS – ROLLS ROYCE (Any model)

Vehicles Accepted For UberACCESS In London

CITROEN – CITROEN BERLINGO WAV

FORD – FORD CONNECT WAV

PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT PARTNER WAV

PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT HORIZON WAV

PEUGEOT – PEUGEOT EXPERT WAV

VOLKSWAGEN – VOLKSWAGEN CADDY WAV

Renting Versus Buying Your Uber Car

That’s a tricky one. The economics of Uber driving are such that if you do not have your own, 2009 or newer, car, you have to work 50 to 60 hours or more to make any decent money. I am sure a lot of people are thinking about driving for Uber part-time to generate some additional income, but that should only be the case if you already have the car and just need to add insurance.

If you look at most offers on Gumtree or Uber’s approved PCO car rental providers, you will notice that it is hard to get a decent car for less than £200-£250 a week, even some offer exclude insurance at that price range. That is £10,400-£13,000 a year thinking long term. You can find a used Prius on Gumtree or AutoTrader for less than that, let alone Skodas or Fords.

I will cover my financial experience with Uber on the linked page, but if you want to try Uber and see if it works for hiring a car short term is a viable option. I wouldn’t recommend hiring for more than a few months till you have enough money to cover a used beater from Gumtree or a down payment on a finance deal for a Prius or Insight.

Private Hire Car Maintenance

Driving a cab in a busy city like London is a pretty heavy load on the car, so regular maintenance is essential. Tyres, brake pads and disks, oil changes and different other bits will have to be serviced much more frequently than on a normal car or a Sunday driver. Brakes are usually easy to repair yourselves if you are handy enough, as might be oil changes depending on whether you can service your car at your home or not. Tyres and windscreen chips are a different matter so you have to find a mechanic you can trust not to rip you off on maintenance for your vehicle. You have to take care of the MOT as well, which is due every six months for a private hire and taxis rather than the year interval for standard vehicles.

If you hire a car from a reputable provider, all this will be taken care of, and all you have to do is just drive. Careful, because you have to return the car in the same condition as you received otherwise you will be charged for every little problem that the car developed under your care, and there will be some dings and chips from driving in a city like London, the inescapable truth.